


Savior, Treasure (I'm Yours)

by Minhoandthebabes



Series: Girlee Hero AU [1]
Category: K-pop, SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/F, Female Choi Minho, Female Lee Jinki | Onew, GIRLee, Gen, OT5
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25748818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minhoandthebabes/pseuds/Minhoandthebabes
Summary: By day Eunsook works as a history professor at Ehwa Dae. But by night she is a brave and powerful hero, saving lives and helping people all over the city. On one such night, she comes across a woman frantically running away from violent debt collectors and tries to save her... only to receive a strong punch in the gut for her troubles.
Relationships: Choi Minjung/Lee Eunsook
Series: Girlee Hero AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867786
Kudos: 6





	Savior, Treasure (I'm Yours)

Minjung’s feet slapped the pavement as she ran, barreling down the small alleyway. Somewhere along the way she had lost her jacket, somewhere along the way she had lost her purse. But she couldn’t stop, she could never get caught by these men, these loan sharks.

During her last encounter, they threatened her, threatened to make her pay in other ways, but she couldn’t pay, not yet. Despite her best efforts, Minjung still hadn’t managed to save enough, there was always something else coming up she needed the money for, and now she really would pay.

She darted through the narrow streets, a quick turn to the right, before sliding left down the next alley. Yet, she knew her luck was coming up short, she knew she would run into a dead-end soon enough as these small streets never seemed to have a destination, only a jumbled pattern that must have made sense at some point in time.

The night was warm. The air barely moved. People milled into the station. Rush hour. Eunsook hated rush hour. Even the term itself was ridiculous. What was everyone rushing to? Or rushing from? Why rush at all? She didn't understand. Rather, she refused to understand. Kibum had tried to explain it to her--a capitalist society. An economy solely balanced on consumerism and the backs of the middle class. He even lent her a book about it: and she tried paying attention, she really did. She tried to give it her time and interest, but it was all so… tedious!

"Worse than a student with no imagination," she grumbled to herself and an old man beside her gave her a confused look. She turned away from him in annoyance and continued to wait for her train. The platform was packed, elbows and bags pushed into her from every side. She made an irritated sound in her throat. If only there was a way to fly unnoticed during rush hour.

Just as she predicted, Minjung’s luck was just about out. She turned and was greeted with a steep hill leading up to seemingly nowhere. Already exhausted, already sweating, she finally gave up, holding her hands up as she turned.

“Fine,” she grumbled, “You got me, okay? What do you want from me?”

The man before her smirked, “Well, well, well, looks like you finally gave up, little lady. Where does someone like you find energy like that hmm?”

He was followed by a panting chubbier man who bent over, his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. “Maybe we should have her running errands like this if she can run that fast.”

The leaner man stepped forward, “No.. I think I have a better idea for her.” He stepped forward and put a hand on her chin, tilting her head up. “Do you think she’s pretty enough for the boss?”

His companion snorted, “Pretty, but innocent looking, you know how he likes bad girls.”

Minjung tried to back away but the man before her gripped her jaw instead, holding her in place. The hand felt as if it were crushing her skin to the bones beneath. “S- stop it, it’s just a loan, I already gave you half!”

“Yeah, you did, but we wanted half two months ago.” The chubbier man moved behind her and soon her wrists were caught.

Minjung tried to kick the man behind her, but he was too quick, grabbing her ankle to throw her off balance. “Please,” she whispered, “Please stop.” She looked to the old buildings around her and noticed one had its lights on. In hopes to get someone’s attention, she cried out. “Help! I’m being attacked!”

_Help! I'm being attacked!_ The voice was loud enough to run a thunderbolt down Eunsook's spine even in the din of the crowd around her. She looked at the mass of people on the platform, squinting at each face, trying to identify the casualty. _Somebody help!_ another scream went up in her head, and this time she knew it wasn't coming from in here.

The train arrived, trundling to a stop several minutes past schedule. She braced herself, standing her ground as passengers squeezed past her into the already bursting carriages. They shoved and yanked and let out indignant sounds before the doors were beeping shut and a few stragglers ran down the escalator, yelling their frustration.

Eunsook pushed past them and made her way up, out into the open.

The night was warm. The air barely moved. People milled into the station. She watched from several hundred meters in the sky, clouds misting across her vision as she passed street after jammed street and neighborhood after scattered neighbourhood. "Where are you?" she murmured to herself, her ponytail whipping and her arms stretched out in front of her.

Almost on cue, the light above her went out and Minjung screamed in frustration. “Asshole! Not even going to help?! What if I get killed, huh? That’ll be on you, I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life, you bitch!”

The men chuckled, “looks like no one’s coming to save you, pretty girl.” The larger of the two men hoisted her up, carrying her over his shoulder. Minjung punched the man’s back, kicked his chest but he didn’t seem fazed at all as they walked down the hill, back towards the black car that had pulled up in front of her by the station.

She cried, she screamed, but it only tired her out until her voice was gone. It didn’t help that she was feeling lightheaded in the position the man held her. If they passed someone on the street, the men just told whoever it was that she was drunk and bumped her head. Of course, they believed the men, of course, she was alone in this situation, she almost felt as if it served her right for being careless.

Eunsook's ears focused on the voice the more she heard it. In honesty, there were several other voices, but none as loud. None as desperate. This was someone in real danger. She had to help them.

When she landed, her feet making no more noise than a cat and her suit melding her into the shadows, she crept up beside the burly men lugging a woman along to their car. This reeked of trouble, more trouble than a lone woman could handle by herself. Eunsook tightened her fists in anticipation of a fight.

In the far distance, the Olympic stadium lights twinkled like stars. She padded downhill behind the men, seeking the darkness of old houses and broken streetlights. "Lady problems?" she called out in a conversational tone.

The lankier man stood and smiled, “Don’t you know it, our colleague here was drinking a bit too much and we’re just taking her home.”

Minjung had finally passed out from the effort of fighting the men by the time they reached the car. She was too far gone by that point to even have a fighting chance.

The larger man took Minjung and acted as if he were carefully laying her in the back of the car. “See that? Out like a light! Now, I’m sure you have better things to do than to bother us right?”

"Aww…" Eunsook replied in a babying voice as she slunk out of the gloom. "Was I bothering you? I'm so sorry! Let me make it up to you, hmm?" she tilted her head playfully. Despite her cool tone, her forehead streamed with sweat under her mask. "What do you say?"

“Shit,” The bigger man backed up once he saw the mask. “You- you’re that bitch who’s been going around beating people up right?”

The smaller of the two shook his head and stepped forward, “Dumb bitch, I’ll show you who you’re messing with.” He balled his hand into a fist and punched the strange woman in the stomach. “You don’t scare me,” He smirked.

Seeing his companion’s success, the bigger man smirked and threw his own punch, hitting her in the face.

"Tch…" Eunsook pulled a miffed face. "Is that all?" she asked, stepping around them with ease, completely unharmed. "Really?! Two big bad blokes like you and all you do is _tickle_ me?" she shook her head as she opened the door to the car, pulling the unconscious woman out by her ankles.

"Disappointing," she threw one last comment at them before scooping the victim into her arms and kicking away from the ground hard enough to leave a crater in the asphalt.

The two men stood in shock and quickly ducked out of the way as their car rolled into the newly formed crater. “What the fuck was that?!” but the woman was too far to hear him.

* * *

Minjung opened her eyes to feel cool air washing over her face. The feeling was odd, maybe she was in the car now, maybe they were driving really fast and had the windows open. It was only when she opened her eyes that she saw the world around her was pitch black. When she looked down she could see the city’s twinkling lights. She tried to scream but only her strangled voice came out as she clung to whatever was holding her.

Put me down, put me down, put me down, she begged in her mind, squeezing the woman’s arm. “Please put me down,” she finally whispered, her tired voice barely coming out now.

When the woman wriggled in her hold, Eunsook momentarily tightened her arms around them before looking for a place to land. Someplace safe, someplace no one would see them. She smiled when it came into view.

From the top of Lotte World Tower, the whole city sparkled. The braced wings around the roof protected them from most of the wind, even when it howled around the building. When they didn't need immediate medical care, Eunsook often brought people here, if only for a while. She liked to talk to them, ease their nerves, calm them down before letting them go.

Carefully, she put the woman down, leaving her to sit on the ground. "You're not hurt, are you?" she murmured softly, letting go and moving away. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Minjung looked at the masked woman before her and tried to slide away quickly. “N- no, they didn’t hurt me..” she lied, her wrists still feeling weak from the man’s grip.

“Who are you? What.. are you?” She asked, still backing up until she felt the edge of the building which only made her scream but it only came out in almost a whisper.

Eunsook sat down cross-legged too, far away from the other. "It's OK," she called out from across the roof. "You're safe here. Well… as long as you don't try to jump," she joked.

“You know they’ll come after me, right? This isn’t over, I owe them so much money.” Minjung put her head in her hands as she realised just how bad this was. “I owe them so much..”

Eunsook held her chin in a palm, studying the other. She looked young, dressed like an office worker. Maybe she lived alone, maybe she lived away from family. Maybe she had no one to turn to for help. "You were brave," she nodded. "You fought them. Not everyone does that. If you keep fighting, they'll give up one day."

Minjung scoffed, “You’ve never met a loan shark, have you?” She shook her head, looking at the woman, “You can fly, like actually fly, so what are you from some alien planet? Some foreign land that doesn’t have loan sharks??”

Eunsook grinned at that, resting her hands on the ground and leaning away lazily. "Maybe~" she said in a playful manner.

“Well, educate yourself,” She said bluntly, pulling her knees to her chest as she rested against one of the wings that pointed to the sky. “They’ll stop at nothing, I’m sure they’ll find me again, and take me back to their “boss” whatever that means..”

With a chuckle, Eunsook lifted herself from the ground and swooped closer to the woman, pulling her away from the thick steel balustrades. "Should I drop you home before I go get this… education?" she teased.

“Take me back to where I was, I can find my way home from there..” She wrapped her arms around her cold shoulders, “I left my purse there anyway.”

When they returned to the dark and quiet stairwell leading into Ogeum station, a shiny black car sat stuck in the little hollow Eunsook's feet had created a few meters away in the service lane. She didn't like destroying public property, but sometimes it was inevitable. _At least_ , she thought as recompense, _I paid my taxes on time this month._

The woman shuffled around in the dark looking for her purse. "It's in that gutter," Eunsook called out from her place. "Under the grate. Should I get it out for you?"

“I don’t need help,” Minjung said defiantly as she wandered over to the grate. She looked down to see it covered in water and groaned, reaching her arm between the slats only to be stopped when she met her bicep. “God I’m so close!”

She sat up and looked for something to grab it with, eyeing a hanger left out with a pile of trash for pick up. She ran over and twisted it, bending it in various ways until it was long enough before she attempted again, only to fail due to the weight of her purse.

In her frustration she threw the hanger and groaned, running her dirty hands through her hair.

"You know," Eunsook approached calmly, standing over the concrete grate and stepping on one end with enough force to flip up the heavy block. "Sometimes it's OK to ask for help," she reached in and brought the dirty purse out, wiping it dry onto the front of her suit.

She held the bag out with a smile before letting go of the grate. It fell with a resounding thud, producing dust from the motion. A few birds flew out of trees nearby, shocked by the sound.

"Well. Get home safe," she bid her farewell, and then rushed away in a blink. She had classes to teach tomorrow, lectures to give. It was easy to work through the night when she was younger, but she was getting old now. It paid to get some shuteye before she had to fly out again.

Minjung huffed, wiping the dust that had gotten onto her pants. “Stupid selfish..” she mumbled to herself before wandering off. She would be busy the next day and didn’t have time to think about the odd hero girl.

When Minjung finally got home, she slipped out of her shoes. The small apartment was dark, her mom must have gone to sleep earlier and her brother seemed to be asleep as well. They didn’t have much since their father had passed. She was still in school and her brother was working hard to keep their home.

It was a freak accident a few years ago that led Minjung to use the loan sharks in the first place. After her father’s death, her mother fell gravely ill. Cracking under the pressure of keeping up with their home payments, her brother, Minseok, gave her an ultimatum.

“You do nothing for this family! I’m paying all our bills, just.. If you want mom to stay alive, you pay for it.”

So she did, she paid as much as she could, and when the money ran dry, she finally asked for help from the loan sharks.

Standing in the doorway of their one bedroom apartment, she saw Minseok sleeping with his arms around their mother, keeping her warm in the chilly air. She sighed and sat beside them, resting her head on the wall behind her. She closed her eyes only to open them again at the sound of her brother’s 4 am alarm.

“Don’t sleep like that,” Minseok’s voice came softly from above her. “You’ll hurt your neck.”

Minjung just waved a hand, “Thank you for waking me.” She stood and ran to the shower, grabbing it before her brother could. She was always quick, not wanting to use too much water, not wanting to waste money with her hygiene.

Once she was dressed she grabbed her apron and work t-shirt that were still dirty from work the day before.

“Busy day?” Minseok asked over a cup of coffee.”

Minjung nodded, “Yeah, I have work at the cafe and then I start a new history class at three,” she explained.

“History? I thought you were studying biology?”

Pursing her lips as she stuffed her clothes into her bag, “My advisor suggests I take one history class, you know.. So I keep track of “politics” once I’m a scientist.” she rolled her eyes. “I already know there are flat earthers in the world..”

He shook his head, “You're lucky you even get to finish school.”

“Don’t start with that again, you were going to be an amazing lawyer before.. You know.” She shook her head.

Minseok sipped from his coffee before gesturing to her again. “And the shirt?”

“The galbi shop, I’ll work there until 1.”

“Good,” Minseok nodded, “See you tomorrow morning.”

There were never any compliments, never any praise. The two mostly acknowledged each other's existence now. Minjung could feel Minseok’s jealousy, it was almost palpable, but she didn’t make any excuses for him. She knew his life was harder than hers would be, she only hoped she could give him a chance to go back to school once she was finished in another year and a half.

* * *

"Buncheong ceramics," Eunsook started her lecture. The slides came up behind her, displaying centuries old pottery and intricate carvings on the large screen. She felt slow and heavy, like a sponge. And some of the girls in the rearmost seats reflected the low energy back at her. Running on three hours of sleep was never good for her mood, but she tried to stay pleasant to her more attentive and interested students. She tried hard to make her courses engaging.

"We saw in the previous lecture that celadon was a prominent style during the Goryeo era," she continued. "But there was a growing cultural exchange with the Ming dynasty, who worked with--" she clicked a button and the slide changed to a picture of an elegant plate decorated with blue willow trees. "Porcelain! Which eventually replaced the buncheong style in a surprisingly short period of time. But oh, was that time beautiful," she grinned, a few more slides returned to photos of bottles and vases and vessels. "These items were common to not just yangban households but also to the commoners. People who lived ordinary, uninteresting lives. Like you and me," she motioned to a girl in the front row. "The decorations on them are an expression of day-to-day life. Trees. Flowers. Animals. Birds. Fish." She flicked through the slides now as she strolled across the stage.

"And it's their simplicity that makes them so elegant." She nodded to some of the faces that followed her. "Now. Let's look at the kilns these were made in--" she moved on to other photos on the presentation.

Minjung was late, she knew it as she ran through the campus from the cafe near the front of the university. She felt guilty, she felt angry for being late on her first day but there was nothing that could be done. The person meant to replace her was late and she had to deal with the consequences.

When she finally made it to the hall she took a deep breath before entering, sliding into one of the back seats. She opened her textbook to catch up with the woman’s discussion on some sort of pottery, making a note to apologise for her tardiness afterwards.

Eunsook made a show of squinting and tutting and making a silly joke about late students studying late subjects, but she recognized the newcomer. The scurrying silhouetted form was clear to her night vision. She acted like the woman was a stranger, continuing to talk about ceramics and jade and excavations in Gwangju for the rest of the hour with her usual enthusiasm.

The risk of meeting someone she'd helped was usually very low. _Seoul is a big city,_ she had reasoned to herself when she'd first put her suit together from yoga and sports clothing. The probability of bumping into the same stranger twice in a row is comically low. But over the years, she had been repeatedly proven wrong, and this was just more proof. Or at least--her math had been proven wrong. She was never good with numbers anyway, Kibum was the guy with a calculator in his brain.

Still, she remained calm. And when the woman approached her at the end of the lecture, Eunsook held an amicable smile ready. "Don't worry," she said. "I won't dock any points for tardiness if I suspect you have a good reason. What's your name?"

“M- Minjung, Professor,” She nodded her head. “I work my morning job across campus and the person who works the shift after me was late. I’ll try not to let it happen again.” She assured the woman, keeping her head bowed.

"Trying is a good start," Eunsook encouraged and slipped to sit atop a table. "But you have some catching up to do, don't you?" she asked sympathetically as she studied a list of students on her laptop. "Let's see. Minjung… family name Choi? Ah! it says here you're a science major. I'm surprised you're interested in history." She smiled wide. "I like students who surprise me."

Minjung hesitated but told the truth, “My.. advisor told me to pick a history class..” She looked down, feeling ashamed a bit as she admitted it, “The woman is a bit.. Conservative. She thinks I need to know history in order to understand biology.” rolling her eyes slightly but tried not to show to the older woman.

"Hmm… that's a shame," Eunsook shrugged and turned to stow away her things. "Well. Stick it out for the rest of the year, and maybe you'll get to visit the museum," she chuckled at herself. "I'll see you in class on Friday, then, Miss Choi Minjung," she waved, then leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. "Be prepared for some ghost stories~"

Minjung blinked, there was something oddly familiar about the situation but she couldn’t place it. Perhaps it was her sleep deprived mind overreacting. Whatever it was, she knew she needed to get going quickly. She had one more class and then work.

She bolted from the classroom and ran to the science hall, entering the bio wing. When she got to her class room she was stopped by two men, only to look up and see they were the men from the previous night.

“Mind if we talk with you?” The lanky man asked.

Minjung froze, “Shit..” She looked at the men, looked at the doorway before her eyes caught the fire alarm off to the side. She didn’t say a word and bolted down the hallway to reach the alarm. As soon as she made it she pulled the lever causing loud alarms to fill the room as the students exited their classrooms. The mass of people were enough cover for her to run to the bathroom and lock herself in one of the stalls, hoping to wait out the false fire threat.

* * *

"No running--girls, no running!" Eunsook called out over the loud ringing tone and automated warnings to evacuate. She covered her ears like many others, as she walked out in a line towards an exit. "Out between the buildings. Everyone, go wait there for a head count," she directed. When she turned back towards the arts wing, her infrared vision activated, she found no fire. But glancing at the sciences block, what she did find were a few stragglers. She glanced around her at the chaos and began walking up the main stairs, looking for an exit way that hadn't locked her out yet.

"What kind of trouble is this, now…" she mumbled under her breath as she rushed through the halls, checking each room she passed.

Minjung remained holed up, pulling her feet up on the toilet so she couldn’t be seen. She knew the two men were still wandering the halls, she knew they were smarter than that.

And the men did, jogging as they looked down each hall, looking for the woman. They only slowed when they saw a woman approaching them. “Sorry miss, we’re a little lost, where’s the exit?” The heavier man asked.

"A little more than lost, if you ask me," she retorted. "This is a women's university. How did you two clowns get in?"

“We were looking for our friend's daughter!” The taller man smiled warmly, “Her mother isn’t feeling well and she sent us to find her.”

Eunsook recognized them too. _Ridiculous,_ she said to herself. _This isn't just outside the norms of probability anymore. This is ridiculous._

"You still need to wait at the main gates. No men allowed on campus," she said sternly. "Please follow me."

The taller man rolled his eyes, “Fine, we’ll come with you, but you have to promise us to find this student.” The man held out his phone with a picture of Minjung he easily pulled up. “Her mother is very worried about her.”

Minjung was still hiding out in the bathroom. Every little sound made her flinch and close her eyes. She knew the men would reach her eventually, it was only a matter of time.

"She's outside with the rest of the girls," Eunsook lied easily, leading them to the nearest emergency exit. "Now leave."

The shorter man scoffed, “And if she isn’t, it’s her mother's life on your head.” The taller took the man’s arm and led him out.

“We’re just giving up like that??” The heavier man asked.

“No,” the taller grinned, assuming they were out of earshot. “We’re heading this way, I bet she ran into one of the classrooms.”

Eunsook heard them, but continued to walk along the hallway. She knew where she was going.

Outside the toilet cubicle, she cleared her throat. "A fire alarm means everyone out, you know?" she spoke in a low tone.

Minjung tensed, when the bathroom door opened, but hearing a woman’s voice outside made her relax. “Doesn’t count if you’re the one that pulled it.” She responded.

"Hmm… this is a pickle," she hissed in thought. "Should I report you for not following the rules? Or for breaking them?"

Minjung shifted uncomfortably but didn’t let her feet down. “You could.. Report me for neither ma’am.” She tried to defend herself, scared now that she would have to pay some fine. This was the last thing she needed, but what was she to do? She was desperate.

"Ah, become an accomplice," she continued lightly. "As tempting as the offer sounds, I think I'll pass on that," she giggled after a moment. "Come on. I'll help you get out without being caught."

“I- I’ll do anything! I’ll clean your office for a month, I’ll.. I have time between shifts, I could come back and clean your house, you have a house right?” Minjung sounded hard pressed, she really needed to know she would be safe, “Just.. as long as I don’t have to pay anything.”

"Come on out first," she said in a kind voice. "Let's negotiate your surrender later. Maybe at a cafe? Lets go, then. I won't report you," she promised. "Let's get you out of there."

Minjung carefully opened the stall only to see her new history teacher standing before her. “P- Professor!” She blinked, “I.. I’m sorry you met me like this..” she bowed her head in shame.

Eunsook acted surprised. "Oh! We meet again," she smiled cheerily. "Come on. We need to discuss your absenteeism and… frankly, remarkable zest for chaos, but not here," she encouraged the woman to walk out with her.

* * *

A few hours after the confusion had been eased and the fire service had cleared the building, Eunsook sat at a small round table with her new student and poured her a cup of hot tea. "You know," she began. "In the Joseon era, they used to ring a tiny little gong whenever there was a fire. Some people never even heard it, imagine that!" she stroked a palm over a still-ringing ear. "All that timber burning just a few feet from you, and you're sound asleep. Wonder how wild it would be if they ever heard our fire alarms in all their eighty-five decibel glory," she giggled.

Knowing to defuse the situation was always important, no matter what she was doing. Talking to panicking students, calming livid criminals, comforting haggard and injured victims. She hadn't always been successful, she would readily admit to that. But over the years she'd gotten better at it. Small talk often helped, distractions were equally effective. And this poor woman, this Choi Minjung. She clearly needed a distraction.

Minjung shifted uncomfortably, tapping her foot as she worried about the time. There was never enough time in a day. “Yeah, yeah that’s nice, just.. Tell me what you want from me, alright? I’m on a very tight schedule.”

She shifted her glasses on her nose. A bigger distraction, or a dive headfirst? She weighed them against each other before she continued.

"So I take it you're in some kind of trouble," she commented.

“What makes you think that? What if I just choose to pull the fire alarm for fun?” She offered, trying to pull the attention off of her anxieties.

"Interesting hobby. If that's the case, then I have no reason to sympathize with you," Eunsook offered. "And no reason to help you. Who knows... the hallway cameras may have caught you," she shrugged. "Once the security team finds the footage, they're going to ask you to explain your hobby to them. Last I checked, that cost…" she squinted for show. "Six million won?"

Minjing squeaked, that was twice the amount she owed the loan sharks. She couldn't afford that price.  
“I- I apologise.” she bowed her head down to the woman. “I- I’m being pursued by a couple of loan sharks and.. The only way to get out of it was the fire alarm.”

"Really?" she hummed, sitting back in her chair. "A young woman like yourself involved with those sorts of people… a bit unusual, isn't it?"

“Stranger things have happened..” Minjung hummed, stirring her tea absently.

"And you have to bear all that… on your own?"

Minjung furrowed her brow, getting annoyed with the questions, “What do you want from me? My whole life story??”

She felt as if she didn’t need to give this woman the answer, what would she do about it anyway? Pity her? That was the last thing Minjung wanted, someone’s pity.

Eunsook smiled wide. "No," she answered and stretched, standing from her seat. "That'll be all. Enjoy your tea."

She paid their bill and left the cafe, walking a few streets before hiding in an alley. Once she was sure there was no surveillance trained on her, she immediately took flight.

The two rowdy-looking men were at the root of the woman's troubles, but removing them from the equation was not on Eunsook. Her responsibility was to deal with immediate threats, not latent ones. For now, there was only one thing she could do.

"Ah, Bummie," she called the man when she was home and the suit was clean and dry for her to don again. Being friends with the campus' head of security had its benefits, but Kibum was a fun guy to hang out with regardless. She could rely on him in this situation.

"You feel like flying tonight?"

Kibum was leaning back in his office chair when he received the call. “Flying? What are you implying, Eunsook-si” He grinned, “I’d love to play games, but you know I have a night shift tonight.” Surrounding him were screens from the front gate security and his office was situated in the small building beside the entrance. It was a pretty laid back job, but it definitely got boring some nights when he was all alone.

He and Eunsook became friends years ago when he noticed something odd on his monitor. He caught eye of a woman walking out of Eunsook’s office. It wasn't that weird, or at least he didn’t think it was. The outfit was a bit odd, she looked like a fake superman and finally had to confront her about her poor colour choices, guiding her to something a little more recognisable and stylish.

From there, somehow, a friendship blossomed and they would spend his more boring shifts hanging out when he had nothing better to do. He never found the hero stuff odd, but in those first few months he couldn’t stop asking questions.

"Hey, hey," she playfully coaxed. "Come on, now. You know how I like listening to you complain about all your failed blind dates. They're the highlight of my week!" she joked. 

"Sure, sure," Kibum snorted. "You must really have nothing to do tonight. What? No damsels in distress? No... pet kitties stuck in trees?" he teased back.

"Hmm... I'd rather chill with you."

* * *

Eunsook swung around on an office chair, as if she were a child.

The room was usually dark and rarely hosted night shift workers, as she'd come to learn over the years they'd been buddies. She liked visiting Kibum at the security office, it was like their secret lair. They discussed politics over takeaway jjajjangmyun, they solved puzzles on the floor, they listened to midnight radio shows. On some weekends around exam time, he often played movies on the monitors, sharing popcorn and silly anecdotes with her. She could be her real self with Kibum. Sure, he gave her serious books and long lectures and admonishing glares. But when he was cool, he was undeniably cool.

"Still nothing on the tapes?" she asked as she rolled her chair around between two desks, giggling in self-amusement.

“As usual,” Kibum rolled his eyes. “Let me ask you something.” He said then, leaning closer to her. “I was reviewing tapes earlier, and I saw some girl pull the fire alarm earlier and then I saw you talking to some guys.”

He leaned back, crossing his legs at the ankles on his desk, “so what was that about? It looked like you knew them or something.”

"Now listen here, Kim Kibum," she started in mock-anger, poking a finger at his chest as she rolled their seats back and forth. "My taste in men is none of your business, OK? I can be with whoever I want, however I want!" she grated and glowered at him for a long minute before chuckling at her own joke.

"Ah~ imagine that. Me, dating two goons. What a nightmare that would be!"

Kibum snorted, “And you know these goons how??” He asked, wiggling his legs in impatience. “You seemed very determined in the video.”

She swung to and fro again. "Hmm… I'll tell you. But only if you could. Hmm. Maybe. Possibly. Destroy all evidence of the false alarm?" she gave him her sweetest smile to bolster the request.

“Oh I see,” Kibum grinned, “using this as an excuse, huh? Was that all this was? Wanting to hang out just for me to destroy the evidence?”

He tutted, shaking his head, “so who’s that girl? You think she’s cute or something?”

"Hey. Everyone's cute in some way or other," she chided, draping an arm around his shoulders and turning his chair to face the screens, as if to make a point. "Like you being a watchful old night owl, hmm?" she smiled. "Come on. She's a poor student with trouble enough as it is. Let's not make life worse for her."

Kibum rolled his eyes, “by all means.. Let’s help the poor thing.” he looked at the vacant screens and sighed, “look, I’m just saying, maybe she’s in that position for a reason, and maybe it’s not in our best interests to help her as far as we know.”

He wasn’t a selfish person, but when it came to his worries about Eunsook he couldn’t help it. She was powerful, and far too kind for her own good.

Eunsook didn't like involving civilians in her crime-fighting. But she didn't know what else she could do to help the young woman without going against her principles.

"Listen," she proposed. "I'm going to bribe you with a weekend off on the east coast. Fly you there myself, too, like that time we went to Daegu to see your parents." She rolled her chair away. "And when the building manager asks, you just say that that camera doesn't seem to be working. The rest is on my neck," she put her offer forth. "What do you say?"

“Sookie, I didn’t tell you I wouldn’t cover for you, I just want to know why you’re so invested.” He shook his head, “She’s just a student.”

She turned to him with a smile. "Everyone is just something. If I decided not to help people because they're just someone, I'd be as bad as the police." She shook her head and moved her chair closer to his. "Like those books you lent me said: everyone deserves a fair chance. I'm giving this woman the same. What she does with that chance is up to her." She shrugged and waited for him.

Kibum nodded and deleted the footage. “I’ll tell them it was just a faulty alarm. Maybe some science project let off a bit too much smoke.”

He looked back at Eunsook, “now.. about flying.” He grinned, taking her hand to pull her out of his office.

* * *

Minjung had left the cafe with her head down and her hands in her pockets. She needed to get to work, and fast. Her second place of work was on the other side of Seoul, closer to her apartment given the late closing time, but now it was rush hour and a bus wasn’t an option anymore.

She crammed her way into a tight subway car, groaning as a man pressed against her from behind. Just an hour on this train and she would be there. She kept anxiously checking her watch on the heated train car. Brushing the fly away hair from her face, she noticed her forehead was dripping in sweat. Just a few more minutes and she could run to the restaurant.

Despite the loan sharks knowing most things about her, they didn’t know where she worked. This small bit of information gave her some solace that night, knowing she wouldn’t be ambushed in front of her place of work. She mostly contributed their lack of knowledge to her boss. The man was tall with broad shoulders and a threatening glare. They say he used to be in one of the higher ranks in the military before retiring due to some sort of discretion, but those were only rumours.

After her shift she went home, exhausted from the day. When she walked up she saw the two men standing in front of her house.

She would have fought, she would have run, but she was too tired, she couldn’t even bother. “Fine, take me okay? Take me and kill me or whatever you want to do to me. There isn’t a hero lady to save me anymore, so..”

The tall man raised an eyebrow, “you want to come with us? Well.. That was easier than I thought.” The man smirked, grabbing Minjung’s arm with a grip hard enough to bruise.

“Yeah whatever, just leave my family out of this, okay?” Deep down Minjung wanted to run, she wanted to scream for help, but she felt as if she had already used up her luck with their last encounter.

The man pulled her towards his car and shoved her into the back, tying her hands with a rudimentary knot. “The boss will be very happy to meet you.” The bigger guy said and laughed as he got into the front of the car.

Minjung curled up, “where’s that dumb hero now?” She asked herself, “why isn’t she here to help when I’m getting kidnapped?”

Eunsook had to cut their joyride short when she heard a call for help. "Don't tell me it's that damn kid again," she muttered, setting Kibum down near the airport. "You'll be OK getting back on your own?"

“Yeah, an hour long bus is just.. perfect.” Kibum said sarcastically but waved the woman off anyway.

Minjung didn’t let herself cry, she didn’t show her weakness, not in front of the two men, but when one of them reached back and put his hand down her pocket she finally screamed.

“Don’t touch me!!” She cried, using her feet to kick away the man’s arm.

“What’s wrong with me looking for your wallet, huh? I need to see if I can pay off some of your debt, alright?” The chubby man said before reaching for her other pocket, his hands gripping her body roughly to keep her in place.

She took to the air and headed in the direction of the familiar voice, but up in the sky there was so much sound. A steady stream of chatter and yelling and television sets and… it left her disoriented, directionless. She turned, mid-air, eyes searching for the nearest source of danger.

"Which way first…?" she whispered. "Come on, people, tell me which way to go first!"

_Noona, where the hell are you?!_ a loud call answered. Eunsook darted towards it.

A convenience store worker stood out on the pavement, calling out to anyone listening. A few people stopped to watch but none approached. Eunsook landed and calmed the woman, asking her for details. A robbery, she sobbed. Men with knives who had taken all the money in the till.

Eunsook nodded, walking into the store. No one had been hurt, but a stressed Officer Lee Taemin still stood above one of the thieves, pointing his stun gun with one hand while reaching into his pocket for handcuffs. He momentarily glanced at her to say "there's a second one" before returning his attention to the man on the floor.

"Damnit, Tae," she growled at no one, rushing through the streets in her search. "Why am I always cleaning up your messes?"

Minjung pushed the hand away, “stop touching me! I don’t have any money on me you asshole!” She yelled, leaning forward to try and bite the hand that tried to suppress her.

“Maybe if I yell loud enough I’ll get that hero to find me again!” She yelled at them, “you don’t want that to happen huh?!”

The taller man grumbled, “get the duct tape.”

When both men were restrained in the backseat of his car, Taemin let out a sigh of relief.

"How come your partner is always missing?" Eunsook complained. "Isn't he supposed to do all this running and… apprehending? Eh?!"

"You know how it is…" he hung his head and shuffled in place. "No one wants to work with the rookie."

"You need to grow a spine," she scolded. "Third time this month, I'm having to cover you. This is dereliction of duty! You have to complain to your superiors about it!" she pointed in the general direction of the local police station.

"And get snubbed?" he argued. "Noona, if I don't play by their rules, they'll just treat me worse."

"Play by their rules?" Eunsook scoffed. "This isn't a game, Tae. These are people's lives. This is the law! What if someone notices me helping you this often?" she hissed. "What if they realise who I am? It could put you in serious risk. You could get hurt!"

When he said nothing in return, she threw her hands up at him. "Forget it. Why am I wasting my time trying to convince a stubborn kid like you--"

"Will you come home this weekend?" he called out before she could take off. "So I can… you know. Thank you and stuff," he murmured at his shoes.

She stopped and thought for a moment, a distant scream calling her where she stood. It was Minjung.

"There's another way to thank me."

In the back of the car, Minjung squirmed, trying to use her legs. “Get OFF!”

The man in the front swerved, “what the fuck! Get control of her!” He barked and the shorter man jumped into action, pulling his belt off to bind Minjung’s legs.

Minjung kept fighting but it was no use, despite her attempts she had been silenced, duct tape covering her mouth and binding her legs together. She was trapped, and she didn’t even know where she was going.

The woman wasn't far but her voice was muffled and several other voices drowned her out. Eunsook hovered for a while, her ears picking up bantering college students, rallying factory workers, loud machinery, grinding cranes and rock drills. Clanging pots, arguing children, cawing crows. A balloon of noise grew up towards her from between the clouds.

_Get off!_ The sound was sharp like a knife, cutting through everything else. Like Minjung was right beside her.

"Good girl," Eunsook murmured and fixed her mask before she streaked through the sky fast enough to produce a sonic boom.

The warehouse sat by the sea. With nothing but moonlight to guide her way, she zipped over the water. Incheon Expressway snaked below her as she soared like a hawk riding on the air currents. Her infrared vision searched every building, every little shed. Every vehicle and boat and sea freight. She combed through it all to finally spot the tall figure bound and squirming on a chair.

Eunsook didn't like destroying public property, but sometimes she couldn't help herself. When she crashed through the tin roof, bringing down a few trusses with her, she didn't look at where the heavy structure landed. With a woman trapped for possible maiming, no one in this building was innocent to her eyes.

Making quick work of the knots on Minjung's wrists, she knelt for a moment to survey for injuries. "Are you OK?" she asked, letting the other pull off the tape covering her mouth.

Minjung felt relief wash over here when she saw the woman fly in. She nodded and carefully took off the tape, crying when it tugged at her skin.

“I- I’m fine.” She lied, despite still being shaken up. “I don’t know where they went.. I didn’t see them.” Her hands shook as she tried to push herself off of the chair, “I’ll fight too, I can fight them.”

"We're not fighting them," Eunsook calmed her. "I'm going to bring you somewhere safe, alright?"

“B- but that’s what you do right? You fight enemies?” She asked, balling her chafed hands into fists.

"I also save people," Eunsook smiled and cradled Minjung into her arms, looking back at some of the dazed men climbing out of the debris. "And right now that's more important than beating up a few gangsters."

She hovered up in the air for a minute as two men tried to approach them with knives. "If any of you try to hurt this woman ever again, I will tear your arms off of you," she delivered her empty threat and slipped out into the night air.

Minjung looked down at the men and stuck her tongue out just to feel better about the whole thing. When she turned back she wrapped her arms around the woman to keep steady.

She glided slowly through the darkened skies, wet clouds hugging them when they moved through their puffy masses. "Are you sure you're not hurt?" she held Minjung tighter to keep her warm.

“Just my pride..” she mumbled before looking out to the buildings below, “and my wrists..” she whispered, hoping the woman wouldn’t hear.

Eunsook giggled. "You seemed ready for a throwdown back there," she teased. "Sure you're not an adrenaline junkie?"

“Far from it..” she sighed, “I just don’t want to be weak.”

When she looked down she saw Namsan Tower and smiled a bit. “I.. guess, after this you and I don’t have an excuse to meet anymore..”

"Guess again," she said and started her descent.

Taemin was in civilian clothes by the time they met up with him. The tower loomed nearby, lit up like a bare christmas tree in the middle of summer. The hills leading up to it were quiet so late in the night--perfect to hide anyone like Eunsook.

He watched them dive between the rows of trees, coming to an abrupt halt several feet off the ground in front of him. "She… she's the one you were talking about?" he asked. "The one you want me to protect?"

Eunsook nodded. "Yeah," she gently let Minjung onto the ground. "Don't worry. He's a good man," she gestured to Taemin.

"H-hello," he blinked.

Minjung pursed her lips, not impressed with the scrawny man in front of her.

“You’re going to protect me?” She asked, crossing her arms, “why can’t the hero protect me instead?”

She frowned, looking back at the woman who floated beside her.

"W-well… I am a trained policeman," Taemin reasoned. "And noona--"

Eunsook held a finger to her lips. "I should be going," she waved to Minjung. "More people to help. Stay with him, he'll take you home and keep you and your family safe."

Taemin held the passenger door open for the tall woman.

Minjung got into the car, her hands running over her raw wrists. She tried to sit a little more lady-like despite her galbi scented shirt and greasy hair from work.

“I don’t know what you were told, but really, you don’t have to worry about me,” she said once the man sat beside her. She didn’t look at him and only kept her gaze outside as she watched the woman fly away.

Taemin started the engine and adjusted his rearview mirror to catch sight of Eunsook flitting away. "These loan sharks… you signed a contract with them?" he asked.

“Something like that, yeah..” she mumbled, glancing back at him. “So she told you about it?”

"Something like that," he repeated with a little smile.

"Listen. Those guys are dangerous. If you can't pay off your debt to them, they'll come after you for your insurance money," he explained as he drove. "We see incidents like that all the time. People who get hurt real bad because they got involved with some crazy goons who wanted to collect."

When they stopped at a light, he looked at the woman for a moment. "You should get a lawyer to help before it turns uglier than it already is."

“You think I can afford a lawyer?” Minjung snapped, looking at him directly. “You must be delusional.”

"There are people who help," Taemin assured. "Pro bono. I could take you to one. He's a friend. Works at the prosecutor's office." He drove on for a few more silent minutes. "The world seems really unfair sometimes, I know. But… there is good in it. There are good people. That's what noona taught me."

Minjung looked back out the window, resting her forehead on the glass. “Your life must have been easy if you think there are good people in this world.” She mumbled, closing her eyes. “Don’t you need my address or something? Where are you taking me?”

"A-ah… she told me where to take you--don't look at me like that," Taemin defended. "She really did! She knows a lot more than she lets on. She's always been like that, ever since we were--"

_Don't tell anyone, Tae,_ Eunsook's warning came to him in that moment. _Never let anyone know who I am. It'll only hurt you._

"Noona isn't just special, she's really smart too," he settled for boasting.

“Huh, so you two were childhood friends or something?” She asked curiously, “what’s it like growing up with some alien with super powers, hmm?”

"She's not an alien," he laughed, shaking his head. "She's just. Different."

He'd never questioned it. Growing up, watching Eunsook get faster and more powerful than any woman, or man could possibly be--he'd just taken it to be a fact like any other fact. It was a natural truth. Even their parents had never tried to investigate it beyond what they could see. They let her grow. They let her choose her path. And they protected her from judgement while she did.

But despite her powers, Taemin had never felt lesser than Eunsook and she would never allow him to. She'd always been a noona first and a hero second. She'd always had his back, even when hers was vulnerable. He felt guilty for relying on her sometimes, but paying back like this or in whatever way he could. It made him feel good. It made him feel like he was helping her. Helping a hero.

"She's not the only one in the world, either," he added. "I'm sure you've heard of all those incidents out in Japan recently right?"

“I- not really..” she admitted, “I don’t have time for news.” She looked at the man, “you do realise humans can’t exactly fly, right?”

Taemin chuckled. Eunsook had mentioned the woman was something of a critic.

"I also realise humans don't care for each other as much," he added. "Maybe you're right, then. Maybe she isn't human. But if that means she does what we don't have the courage to do," he raised his eyebrows at his passenger. "Then I wouldn't get in her way."

Stopping at the bottom of a narrow hill, he turned to the woman with his card. "This is my number. If you need help with anything at all, please call. This may be a bit out of my jurisdiction but we're here to help you." He offered a sincere smile as goodbye.

Minjung was left looking down at the business card. She almost considered dropping it, but slipped it into her wallet instead.

When she entered the house it was quiet and dark. Letting out a sigh of relief she wandered over to the kitchen and got to work cleaning the dishes her brother and mom had left in the sink.

“I never thought I would see my sister come out of a cop car.”

The voice shook Minjung and she whipped around with a look of disgust, “Well, get used to it.” she lied, turning back to the dishes.

Minseok scoffed, “Don’t make a habit out of it.. We don’t need cops poking their noses in our business.”

“Why do you say that? Have you been doing anything illegal I should know about?” She asked, focusing on her hands as they cleaned a knife.

“No, but once the cops pity us, then we really become destitute.”

Minjung looked back, “You’re just self conscious because you can't provide for us like dad could.”

He grabbed Minjung’s wrist, “watch what you say little sis.”

Minjung stood defiantly, holding her own, “Or you’ll do what? Give me a reason to call the cops?”

Letting go, he turned, “You’re lucky mom is still around or I would have let you go on your own a long time ago.”

Minjung scoffed and leaned against the kitchen counter, “Yeah right.. I practically live on my own already. I don’t need you anyway.”

“Sure you don’t..” Minseok shook his head and turned, “Good night, Minjung.”

Minjung didn’t give him the same well wishes and only watched him enter the bedroom. He would stay with her mother while she was cast aside again. This felt like it would be her reality until her mother passed. She would constantly serve the woman while never being able to appreciate her while she was alive. It was nearly impossible to keep up with her work, her schooling. Despite all this, she knew her brother assumed she was living a lavish life because all she needed to do was finish school and she would get a better job but for now, she would suffer.

Once she was alone, she grabbed her clothes from the closet and changed, leaving her clothes from the galbi shop behind before running. She ran until she felt exhausted again, she ran until her feet blistered in her shoes barely held together. And when she finally knew she couldn’t carry on, she walked back to the galbi shop and fell asleep at one of the tables.

The next morning she tied her hair into a tight ponytail and went back to work at the cafe.

* * *

By Friday morning, Eunsook felt burnt out. There had been several muggings, bullying incidents, threats, and domestic violence to deal with. She wasn't as tireless as she used to be. She wasn't anywhere near as indefatigable as when she'd first started.

She only hoped it didn't show too obviously on her face.

"Right," she started the class, noticing an equally worn-out Minjung in the back. She wondered if the woman had faced any more trouble from the loan sharks again, but didn't think it was her responsibility anymore. After all, she couldn't be seen playing favorites, nor could she risk revealing her identity.

"Last class we looked at the art of pottery. Today we're going to talk about religion. Specifically," she pointed to the projector screen, where a picture of a whirling woman in colorful clothes introduced their topic. "Shamanism. Now, this is required reading for those of you planning on writing the seventh grade civil services exam. They had several questions about this subject on last year's history section. So I suggest you pay close attention. Everyone else can--relax, I suppose?" she shrugged at a handful of groans before beginning her lecture.

She stayed mechanical for the rest of the hour, reciting dates and facts she remembered by rote. Even the stories she usually shared with the class were bare bones, spoken with no emotion whatsoever. Eunsook just couldn't summon her usual avidity, and her students obviously noticed when a girl loudly yawned mid-way through the class.

"OK, I want everyone to spend their weekend well. Party hard, and drink responsibly," she ended. "But remember to go search for shamanist paintings. There is a possible assignment coming up about the introduction of Buddhist ideology through shamanism, I won't say when but it's coming--" she clicked her fingers at them when they whined. "Stay cool."

Minjung had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the class, the paintings going from something stagnant to almost visible nightmares that she was too tired to wake from. She snored gently, he face pressed against the back of her hand as the students filed out of the classroom.

"I know I didn't deliver on the ghost stories," Eunsook said to wake Minjung, taking a seat on the tier below the other. "But my classes aren't that boring, are they?" she smiled.

Minjung bolted awake and held up her hands in defence before she realised who it was. She stood and bowed to the woman, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to fall asleep, it's just been.. a long week.”

"That it has," Eunsook agreed. "But you haven't raised any more false alarms, so that's a positive sign," she teased. "What does a student like you do on her weekends, I wonder?"

“Work,” Minjung said bluntly, “From dawn till dusk.”

Eunsook made a disappointed face. "That's no way to live. A young woman should spend some time on herself, too," she comforted.

"Tell me something," she began after a while. "You're a science student, aren't you? We haven't had much research done on the history of scientific studies in our country. Especially women's involvement in the field. How would you like to help out with that?"

Minjung felt anger rush through her when the woman told her she shouldn’t live like that, it was as if she had some sort of choice.

“With all due respect professor, I don’t have time. If I can get paid for it, then maybe, but other than that..” she shook her head and started to pack her bag.

"There will be a stipend," she nodded. "It's hard work, but the university pays well for research if you produce good results." Eunsook began walking back down to the podium for her next class. "The offer's on the table. Take your time."

She slung her bag onto her shoulder and gave a friendly wave to the other. "See you Monday afternoon."

* * *

The weekend came and went for Minjung. If she wasn’t studying she was working, when she felt satisfied with both, she was sleeping. For once, she lived through a weekend without issue, a weekend without the loan sharks following her every move.

It was Monday when she heard a honk from outside. She awoke to an empty house, her brother was at work, her mother was nowhere to be seen, and then, she panicked.

Standing she glanced at the clock to see it was well beyond the hour she was supposed to start work, if she was lucky, her mother was only out of the house to head to work herself.

Minjung grabbed her school bag and ran outside to find a black car with the two loan sharks standing in wait.

“We couldn’t let you off that easy..” the one said, “and it’s day time anyway, I’ve never seen that woman around in the day, have you?”

The shorter man shook his head and chuckled, “surely you have some money now.. it’s been a full weekend! And you’ve been hard at work, right?”

Minjung held her bag tightly, “I have to go to school,” she said, trying not to show any fear, “afterwards I’ll give you what I’ve saved up, I promise.”

“You’ve lied too much to make some promises, bitch. And we only accept the payment in full, three million won.” The lanky man shook his head, “it would be a shame if we met your mother and let her know of our unique situation.”

Minjung couldn’t take it anymore, she took her bag and utilised its weight as a weapon. Holding it by the top handle, she thanked Eunsook for choosing such a lengthy textbook before clobbering the man with its seven kilogram weight. Smirking at the startled men, she shouldered the backpack and ran as fast as she could up the hill. Pulling out her phone she found the scrawny policeman’s number and called it as she sprinted to the bus stop, hoping the bus would turn up when she needed it.

Taemin missed the call during a briefing about recent burglaries around the neighbourhood. He shifted in his seat, hoping for a quick break. When he finally saw his opportunity, he dashed out of the station, ignoring his yelling superior. 

On the drive out, he called the number back.

"Minjung ssi?" he spoke when there was an answer. "Minjung ssi, I'm on my way right now, I'm coming to get you. Where are you right now? Are you alright? Are you safe—?" 

"Uhh, boss?" a gruff voice spoke on the other end of the line. "She managed to tell someone. Hey, hello?" the voice addressed Taemin instead. "Who is this? You her boyfriend or something?"

Before he could answer, he heard a woman's muffled yell in the background, quickly followed by a _shut her up, now!_ and a thump that made everything go terribly silent. Taemin gripped the steering wheel hard in panic. 

"Listen, whoever you are," the loan shark continued. "Enough running, alright? I'm getting sick of it. We got your girl. You want her, you bring the money. Three million, plus interest. Or we start cutting out parts of her to sell. You get me, don't you?" 

"You sons of—!" Taemin began, only to be cut off by the other. 

"Come on, man," the goon said. "Don't waste your breath cursing us out. The sooner you get here, the more you'll have left of her to save, OK?" 

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" Taemin warned. "Don’t you dare touch her, or I promise you're going to regret it!" 

"Uh huh, sure," the other man casually brushed off the threat. "Just don't try anything smart." And with that the call dropped, followed soon by a message with an address. 

Taemin raced his car through the streets, siren blaring. Eunsook had left her in his care, she had placed all her trust in him. Minjung was his responsibility. And he was willing to do anything to keep her safe.


End file.
